There are several bougainvillea on our property that were planted in bad spots by the previous owner. I could use them to good advantage in other spots but I've heard that they don't like their roots disturbed. Is there a way to increase my chances of a good outcome if I decide to try to move them?
Many thanks, alladrm
Can I transplant bougainvillea?
I've disturbed the roots on mine before with no ill effects and I think I've seen posts from other people saying the same thing. So I'd be careful and disturb the roots as little as possible, but I think they'll be OK with a little disturbance. I would probably wait until fall though, that's a better time in general for planting/transplanting out here. But bougies are one of the things I've had good luck planting in the summertime, so if you're going to attempt summer transplanting on anything bougies give you a better success rate than many other plants would.
I transplanted one a few months ago before I left FL. What a job!! It had gotten about 5' tall the year before and got hit by the last freeze so I figured late March was a good time since I had cut back the dead branches and it was just starting to come back and leaf out. Well.....just be aware that those roots were huge and really spread out! They weren't as much deep as they were spread out and some of them extended 3-4' feet outward and were an inch in diameter! I knew to be gentle with the roots, but after fighting with the darn thing, I finally had to cut the roots after pulling out as much as a I could of the large ones! I think it actually became a challenge to see if I could get the darn thing out of the ground! LOL! Quite a show, I'm sure, if someone was watching.
Anyway, I won. Got it moved and it almost immediately went into wilt mode. I watered, watered, watered everyday for about 2 weeks then it started to take hold and when I left FL last month is was doing fine. It hadn't gotten to bloom stage yet, but I knew it would.
Keep in mind, this had very little growth above ground although a few of the branches that I cut back were 1/2"-3/4" in diameter so I imagine the diameter of the branches will dictate the size of the roots.
When it wilted so quickly and took so long to perk back up I wondered if it was a goner due to the "root fight", but I kept up with the watering and it came back. I also have a feeling that the roots may be less sensitive the bigger they get. I also did not fertilize since I thought that would just be too much for it, but maybe some root stimulator would be ok.
All this said, you can determine about moving yours, but I did want to give you a heads up about the battle on one that had only been in the ground 1 year! I also moved it just as the season was really beginning so maybe you want to pick a time that there's less growing going on. Your zone pretty much goes all year doesn't it?
I also think you need to cut it back before moving it if it's during the growth period since the wilt portion never really came back -- it grew more branches and I ended up cutting off some of the wilted that ended up dying.
Good luck,
Barbara
I dare you to be able to kill a bougainvillea in zone 9b (LOL)
They only bloom on new wood anyway so cut them back and let the show begin............
Having an unusually cold winter will do it--I lost all of mine last year when we had a week of nighttime lows in the low 20's. So it is possible to kill them in 9b!
didn't know that, ecrane3....................I am in zone 9a which is supposed to be colder and our lowest temps may be 30 or 31 for an hour or two....................everything makes it.............
Well, last winter was very unusual, we don't usually get below 30.
Thanks to all for your input. The bougainvillea that most needs moving is in the middle of a flower bed and has probably been there since the house was built 6 years ago. It died down to the ground last winter when we had 3 days of freezing weather but in the spring it came back with a vengeance. It's so well established where it is that I wonder if there's another approach I might take such as keeping it pruned smaller or as a standard or up the palm tree. What do you think?
Thanks again, alladrm
as I said on another thread the other day, my friend just got back from the Getty museu m in LA.................she said that they had put wrought iron (like a tomato cage) around the bottom of the bougainvilleas and forced them to grow like a tree............they were truly magnificent...............she sent me pictures but i don't have them now.............evidently as the plant would grow upwards, they would add another round ring around the main stem of the plant forcing it ever higher.........the top of the plant looked just like a tree with a canopy.............
gessiegail,
I like that idea very much. Do you know if there are multiple trunks inside the cage? And I wonder what I could use that would be strong enough to do the job?
alladrm
Let me ask her later today...............she lives in Houston and i will call her and get back to you....................(we talk everyday anyway)
love to see the pictures!!!
I just talked to her and let me see how well I can tell you what they were.
1. there must have been more than one plant because there were 3 colors of B
2. Actual rebarb the you see in concrete were standing straight up in a 2 ft. circle and bent outward at the top about 6 ft tall.
3. I asked her if there were more than one stem inside the rebarb and she said there were a lot of stems going up.........but they kept them trimmed not to bloom.........they kept them inside the rebarb circle.
She told me that she had sent me a picture from a book she bought there at the museum and she wasn't doing it again for me (LOL)
I was able to look up the Getty Museum gardens online and saw photos of the bougainvilleas they have growing in the central garden area. It's beautiful but beyond my ways and means..........if you know what I means!
I think I'll just keep the canes pruned back enough that they don't take over the whole flower bed for now. Thanks.
alladrm